Simon Pegg is one of those actors whom cinephiles have probably seen in more movies than they can remember. The English actor has starred in some of the most popular franchises. From Mission: Impossible to Star Wars, he has left his mark on such franchises in whichever capacity he possibly could.
Pegg’s switch from indie films to blockbusters was not a walk in the park, but once he achieved it, there was no going back. Most fans will remember that he had a role in the Daisy Ridley-led Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but what most probably don’t know is that he had not 1 but 2 roles in the film. In a recent interview, he revealed the other role that most people missed.
Simon Pegg Had 2 Roles in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and 1 of Them Might Have Gone Completely Unnoticed
Simon Pegg stepped into the entertainment industry when he was in his twenties. He made appearances in many TV shows and films, but he needed a big break. His breakthrough came in 1999, with his role in the Channel 4 sitcom, Spaced, which he created and co-wrote with Jessica Stevenson.
One thing led to another and soon he began doing projects that catapulted him to critical acclaim. This included his roles in projects like Doctor Who, Star Trek, and Star Wars. While he did not have big roles in these, his supporting roles were just as good.
In a recent interview on the podcast Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, he was asked what kind of stuff he liked to watch growing up. He admitted that Star Wars was something that he loved like most other children of his generation. Then, he opened up about his involvement in the movie The Force Awakens and revealed that he had, in fact, done 2 roles.
I did a little bit in The Force Awakens, but I also did a voice—DGA, the bounty hunter—in Clone Wars. And I was a droid. This is a little-known fact: I voiced a droid called Omry in a Star Wars game, who was the red protocol droid that ended up giving his arm to 3PO in The Force Awakens.
So, besides his role as Unkar Plutt, the Junkyard dealer on Jakku, he also appeared as a droid in the movie. This truly is something that most people could not have guessed or figured out on their own even after so many years.
Simon Pegg Claims Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning Might Be the Best Movie from This Franchise So Far
About two decades ago, Pegg joined the Mission: Impossible franchise as the IMF technician, Benji Dunn who helps Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt in his missions. Ever since he became a part of the franchise, he has appeared in all of the movies so far and the next one is Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning.
In the same interview with Michael Rosenbaum, he claimed that the upcoming spy action film might be the best of all, saying:
I have just finished shooting. I have one day left of pickups to do. I’ve seen it. It’s bananas. It’s absolutely bananas. What he [Cruise] does in this one, it boggles the mind. I think this one is the best one ever. And I’m not just saying that because it’s like, ‘Oh, you’ve got to say that.’ It is going to be great.
The recently released teaser trailer does give a glimpse of the deadly stunts the Top Gun star is going to do in the movie including hanging from the side of a biplane while it is flying in the air.
Frequently asked questions
What two connections does Simon Pegg have to Star Wars: The Force Awakens?
Speaking on the Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum podcast, Pegg pointed to two links. On screen he appeared as Unkar Plutt, the gruff junk dealer on the desert planet Jakku. Separately, he voiced a droid named Omry (often spelled Omri) in a Star Wars video game; per Pegg, that red droid is tied to the backstory of how C-3PO ended up with his red arm seen in the film.
Did Simon Pegg actually voice a droid that appears in The Force Awakens?
Not on screen in the movie itself. Pegg has said he voiced the droid Omry in a Star Wars game rather than in the film. Omry is linked to the explanation for C-3PO’s distinctive red arm seen in The Force Awakens, a backstory developed in Star Wars tie-in material rather than shown in the movie. Pegg’s only on-screen Force Awakens role was Unkar Plutt.
Who is Simon Pegg and what else is he known for?
Simon Pegg is an English actor and writer whose breakthrough came with the late-1990s Channel 4 sitcom Spaced, which he co-created. Beyond his Star Wars connections, he is widely known for playing IMF technician Benji Dunn in the Mission: Impossible films alongside Tom Cruise, a role he has played since joining the franchise in the mid-2000s.
